Harper's Day Out
by Thissa
Summary: Harper goes to a science convention during one of his days off. One of the machines, however, really catches his eye...
1. Introduction

**Author's Note:** This is my very first fanfic, so please review and let me know what you think =) Now I'm not sure how to really go about all the legal mumbo-jumbo that is ususlly posted at the top of fanfics, but to make it clear as possible I'm not affiliated with the cast, producers, or writers of Andromeda, and the characters that are used on the show are copyrighted to Mr. Rodenbury (sorry if I spelled his name wrong) and the show's publishing company. N-E-Ways... I bet you're tired of reading this, so let's get on with the story!   


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**Harper's Day Out** - An _Andromeda_ fanfic by **~Thissa~**

**Introduction**

Seamus Harper rubbed his eyes and got out of bed. He looked at his calendar. "Yes!" He made a fist and pulled it in towards him. He had been waiting for this day for months now and it was finally here! 

Today was the day of the science convention on Alteka-7. It was a yearly convention which demonstrated some of the most recent advancements in science. To Harper, it was like a candy store. 

This was his first time going. In the past, he had mentioned the convention to Dylan (and before him, Beka) but it always ended up with "Sure Harper, but fix the (insert something broken here) first." 

Convienently...something else would break down right after the first was fixed. 

This year was different, though. This year, as if he had been blessed by the gods, the convention just happened to fall on his day off. He was the first to reserve a ticket. 

Harper walked to his dresser and opened the drawer. Under his pile of clothes laid his ticket to the convention. He quickly put his clothes on and pocketed the ticket. He got a quick bite to eat and left to find the Ereka Maru. 

As Harper was walking towards the docking bay, he ran into Beka Valentine, his (former) captian and owner of the Maru. 

"Morning Harper. You're up early."  
"Sorry Beka, no time to talk. The first person to arrive at the convention gets his or her choice of any product sold at the show, for free."  
Beka rolled her eyes. "And just how do you plan to get there?"  
Drat. She asked the one question that Harper didn't want to hear. "With your ship."

Beka let out a chuckle. Harper groaned, he knew what was coming.

"While I don't have any problems with you taking MY SHIP out for the day, there are a few conditions that you must follow."  
"Beka, I REALLY don't have time for this!"  
"Rule number one: ALWAYS return the Maru ON TIME. That means Ten O'Clock tonight.  
Rule number two: ALWAYS return the Maru in BETTER condition that you found it.  
And Rule number three: If you DO NOT follow the rules, I'll send Tyr after you." 

While Harper didn't have any problems with following the rules, he certianly didn't want Tyr to come after him. "Okay, Okay I get it! But I REALLY need to get going!" 

Beka just smiled at him and nodded. Harper broke off into a sprint towards the Maru. 

Only a few seconds had passed since Harper's conversation with Beka, but to him it had seemed like hours. He finally arrived at the Andromeda's docking bay, where the Maru was parked. He opened the door and hopped inside. 

Harper strapped himself in the pilot's seat and opened up a comm signal.  
"This is the Ereka Maru requesting permission to take off."  
"Ereka Maru, you are cleared to take off. Have fun today, Harper."  
"I will, boss." 

**End of Introduction**   


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**Author's note:** Yeah I know it's not much but I didn't have enough time to write tonight. I'll have chapter 1 done by the end of this week. And Chapter 2 by the end of next. Please don't judge the story by this intro. It gets way better. I promise. 

- **~Thissa~**


	2. The Dream Catcher

**Author's Note:** This is my very first fanfic, so please review and let me know what you think =)   
_Italic text_ represents a thought.   
Legal mumbo-jumbo can be found prior to the introduction to this story.   


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**Chapter One**

As the Ereka Maru sailed off towards Alteka-7, home of the annual Galaxian Science Convention, Seamus Harper, the Maru's only crew member at the moment, sat in the captian's chair and tried to dream of what the convention would be like. 

He knew very little about it, as he had never been to the planet nor the convention before. All he knew (from the brochures) was that great scientists _and freakin' geniuses such as yours truly_ showed off their latest gizmos and gadgets. Harper couldn't wait to try out whatever they had. 

He looked at the display. He would arrive any minute now... 

After what had seemed like milennia, the Maru had arrived at the planet. Harper saw the his intended destination, a large metallic dome-shaped building ahead of him. He double-checked that his ticket was in his pocket, and rushed out of the Maru to be first in line at the convention. 

He was third. _Stupid Beka and her stupid lecture...oh, she's gonna pay for this._

Mean thoughts flooded Harper's head, which fortunately kept him occupied so that the couple hours he spent standing in the lineup only seemed like a couple seconds to him. 

"Your ticket, please?"  
"Excuse me sir, but could I see your ticket?"  
"Wha-" Harper shook his head. _Wow, that lineup sure got long fast._  
"Sir, this is your final warning. Please present your ticket or you will be swiftly escorted back to your ship."  
"Hey, Hey, Hey... Don't go all Tyr on me now! Here's your ticket." Harper presented his ticket while the ticket collector had a confused look on his face. He looked at Harper, then back at the ticket, then at Harper again, and finally back at the ticket again.  
"Alright Mr.Harper, you may enter." The ticket collector tore off the ticket stub and returned the remaining portion of the ticket to Harper. 

Harper took back the ticket and entered the building. While most of the attendees were gathered around the enterance presenting their tickets or congratulating the first person to enter, _That should have been me..._ Harper decided to search the back of the building where no one else was yet. He saw several scientists ready to demonstrate their creations, whatever they may be. 

But there was one person who appeared to be struggling with his invention. This scientist appeared to be a half human, half weird race that Harper didn't recognize. _This guy has a man's body with a fish's head!_ Harper moved closer to him. _Hmm. I'm a pretty smart guy. Hell, I'm a freaking genius! Perhaps if I assist him with this invention of his, I can snag a freebie!_

Harper approached the fish-man. "So what's that you're working on?"  
"Oh it's just a little project of mine. I wasn't planning to demonstrate it."  
"No, tell me. What's wrong with it? Mabye I can help you fix it."  
"Nothing's wrong with it, I'm just trying to fix it up."  
_Darn it!_ "Oh. Well there's plenty of other things to see and do. I'll see ya around then."  
"I never said that I couldn't use help."  
_Thank you, god!_ "So tell me then, just what do you have in mind?"  
"What's your name?"  
"My full name is Seamus Zelanzy Harper, Genius Extrordinaire. But you can call me Harper."  
"Ask yourself a question, Harper."  
_This guy is nuts!_ "Umm, okay. Am I a genius? No. I'm a FREAKING GENIUS!"  
_That guy is nuts!_ "Are you brave, Harper?"  
"What does that have to do with needing my help?"  
"The last time I asked for help my assistant wasn't brave enough."  
_This is where you're supposed to slowly back away, and break off into a sprint._ Harper's gut instinct, unfortunately, lost to his curiosity. "I'm not afraid of that." He pointed to the device.  
"Very well, then. All that I need you to do is test it."  
"Umm...you still haven't told me what it is!"  
"Have you ever used VR, Harper?"  
"VR? As in Virtual Reality?" Harper chuckled. "I OWN Virtual Reality. Don't tell me that this is just some scary game or something."  
"No. This is not a game...although some may think it to be."  
"Well what is it then?"  
"Have you ever wanted to do something so much...but it would never be realistic, or possible? This isn't just VR. This brings forth your dreams, your wishes, your fantasies...which become the game (as you called it). You write the program, Harper. Are you brave enough to face your dreams?"  
_This is really giving me the creeps._ "Hey, it's not like I have nightmares or anything like that. If it brings my dreams to life then why should I, or anyone for that matter, be scared? Dreams are happy things!"  
The look on the fish-man's face lost it's spooky look. He chuckled. "You're right, Harper. It's just that...to do this, the program has to interface with your mind on a very low level...and if something glitches in the computer..." A sad look spread accross his face. "My previous assistant was the first victim of my Dream Catcher."  
"I'm sorry."  
"Since then the system has been much improved. And it's not as bad as you think. My previous assistant was telling me how happy he was in there. I'm offering you a chance to escape. To escape from reality."  
_Do I want to be a repairman all my life...or do I want to spend a day in paradise at the chance of risking my life..._ "I'm a risk-taker. I'll test it for you."  
"You're a brave man, Harper. If you can achive constant success with the dream catcher, you will go down in history as one of the bravest scientists ever known. And of course, I will reward you."  
_YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!_ "Then why are we talking?" Harper picked up the device, the fish-man's dream catcher, which actually was an oddly shaped VR Helmet. It was probably designed for another fish-headed man. He grabbed a cable, hot-wired it up to the helmet and plugged the other end into the implant on his neck. "Okay, put me in!" 

The fish-headed man pressed a few buttons on his computer. Harper gulped. He anxiously waited for something to happen. Time passed. More time passed. 

Then suddenly, everything went black. 

**End of Chapter One**   


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**Author's note:** The sole purpose of this chapter was to place Harper in a world where his dreams/wishes/hopes/desires become real. I kind of ranted and made it up as I went along - sorry if it didn't make sense to you "non-techies". And if you think you know what happens next...think again. This story is about to get **REALLY** interesting.

- **~Thissa~**


	3. Tyr hit me with a brick...

**Author's Note:** This is my very first fanfic, so please review and let me know what you think =)   
_Italic text_ represents a thought.   
Legal mumbo-jumbo can be found prior to the introduction to this story.   


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**Chapter Two**

"Uuuh?" 

Seamus Harper awoke and rubbed his eyes. Man, did he have a headache. He turned his head slightly to the right and looked at his...ALARM CLOCK?!? He rubbed his eyes again, then pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. 

Apparently he wasn't. The alarm clock sat there, blinking at him. It read 12:00. 

But the alarm clock that had mysteriously appeared at the edge of his bedside table was his least concern. His head was pounding...as if Tyr had broken a brick over it. _Make that two._ He tried desperately to remember what had happened the previous night...but to no avail. It probably involved the mass consumption of alcohol. 

_No..._ Harper was fighting with himself inside his head. He had hangovers before. Those were more like two by fours. This was definitely a brick! He figured that it would be best to sleep on it - perhaps he would remember in the morning. He started staring at that stupid blinking alarm clock and within a few minutes, he fell asleep from the boredom. 

"Morning, Harper!"  
"Uuuh?" 

Harper's headache wasn't as bad as it had been at midnight...but it was still throbbing. He opened his eyes and saw nothing but white. He blinked a few times and realized that his eyes were adjusting to the sunlight. 

_The SUNLIGHT?!?!?_

Harper forced his eyes open. Slowly, but surely everything came into focus. Rommie's hologram was standing next to the bed. Something about her didn't look right though. 

Harper blinked. _Wait a minute..._ It wasn't Rommie. It was another hologram. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a pink tank top and light brown pants. He also noticed a large window on the side of the room. Sunlight was pouring in. 

"So are you going to get up or do you want the radio? It's already set to opera. All I need to do is crank the volume..." 

Harper didn't want to get up...but he didn't want the opera music either. Something was horribly wrong here. The alarm clock? The window/sunlight? The cute but sarcastic hologram? _Alright...you're going to wake up any second now...just play along with your dream._

Unfortunately Harper's headache severly impacted his ability to think straight.  
"Where am I? Who are you? What's going on?" 

"Shh!" The hologram pointed to the other side of the bed. Harper suddenly realized that with the way things looked now, he probably wasn't the only one in the bed. He turned over and looked to his left. _Oh my god..._

"TRANCE!" 

The purple figure sleeping next to him rolled over. Fortunately she was still asleep. Harper sat up and turned to face the hologram. His headache was coming back. None of this made sense, even to a certified genius such as himself. What is going on here? 

Little did he know that a fish-headed man was watching him and asking the same question. 

*****

The fish-headed man looked up from the monitor. He looked at Harper, who was still sitting in a chair, VR helmet wired into his implant. He gave a sigh and looked at the computer that was controlling the Dream Catcher. True, he had fixed the bugs that had caused the computer to crash previously. However, in doing so, he had accidentally caused a massive energy backlash which had shorted parts of the helmet and parts of Harper's implant. Then how was it that the Dream Catcher was still running? 

According to the computer, Harper should be dead. The good news was that he was still breathing, his heart was beating, and he had the occasional twitch. Unfortunately that was the only good news. He couldn't shut down the program, and from what he had seen on the screen - Harper had amnesia. 

Harper was a prisoner...of his own mind. 

**End of Chapter Two**   


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**Author's note:** Not what you expected...is it? 

Chapter 3 coming...umm...soon. In the meantime please review! 

- **~Thissa~**


	4. Temporary Sanity

**Author's Note:** This is my very first fanfic, so please review and let me know what you think =)   
_Italic text_ represents a thought. Please note that if you are not viewing this on fanfiction.net you may not see italics. Just remember - anything that sounds like a character talking to him/herself probably is.   
Legal mumbo-jumbo can be found prior to the introduction to this story.   


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**Chapter Three**

Seamus Harper covered his ears in agony. "Okay, Okay, I'm awake! TURN IT OFF!" 

The speakers which were blaring out opera music at a very loud volume finally shut up and retracted into the walls. Harper collapsed back onto the bed. "What was the purpose of THAT?" 

The hologram looked at him. "Just following your commands, genius. You're the one who's too lazy to fix that alarm clock. And I gave you a fair warning last night of what to expect if you use me as your alarm." 

Harper put a quizzical look on his face. "But that's just it, you see. I don't remember last night. Well...actually I do but I wasn't here. Not that I don't like it here or anything. I just don't remember." 

"Riiight. Anyways, your wife is awake now so I'll leave the two of you to chat." 

Harper turned around and saw Trance sitting up. "Morning, dear!" she said with a grin on her face. He looked down at his hand. Sure enough, he was wearing a wedding ring. 

Something looked different about her. She looked...older. Not much, but definitely a few years older. Looking at himself, he realized that he was at least a couple years older too. He looked at her and tried to say something but no words could come out of his mouth. 

Trance gave him an odd look. "So aren't you going to say good morning and give me a kiss like you usually do?" 

As Harper tried to find the right words to say in return, the door to the bedroom opened and a short figure walked in. Harper turned his head to look and what he saw...he couldn't take this anymore. He needed answers, but his head was being run over by a squad of angry Neschians. Now his vision was blurry. As he fell off the bed and went unconcious, he heard a new voice coming from within the room. 

"Hi, Daddy!" 

For the second time that day, everything went black. 

*****

The fish-headed man gasped in shock as he saw what had happened on the screen. Not good. He saw a flash of light come from the VR helmet and smoke started to pour out of it. He wanted to pick it up and stomp on it - but he knew better. 

Harper's amnesia made him forget that he was in a dream world. Because of that, anything that would seem out of the ordinary to him _In this case...everything_ would be a major shock, which in turn would make his headache worse, and cause the Dream Catcher to overload. The only possible solution here was to reverse Harper's amnesia. _Actually...that's an impossible solution._ The fish-headed man sat back down at the computer, amazed that Harper was still alive. _How could this be possible..._ He shook his head, knowing that the Dream Catcher could blow at any second. 

*****

Harper rubbed his eyes but didn't open them, afraid of what he would see. Talk about deja vu. How many times had he woken up today? At least now his headache had gotten better. He could still feel a small throbbing but it was nothing like what he had experienced earlier. He decided to use this temporary period of sanity to his advantage. 

_Okay, Harper. Think back. Think way back. What do you remember?_ He could recall having an argument with Beka, and flying the Maru down to...what was it? _Oh yeah, the science convention._ He remembered seeing a fish-man and exchanging words. But that was all. He couldn't remember what was said, or what had happened after the discussion. 

"Hey look, his hands are moving! Harper, can you hear me?" 

_No, don't answer yet. Keep remembering._ He remembered a headache and loud opera music. He could also recall a cute, but annoying (in a good way) hologram and being in the same bed as Trance. After that there was nothing but a blur and two words - Hi Daddy. _Okay Harper, time to face reality. You just have temporary genius insanity and are probably locked in a padded room._

Harper opened his eyes and sat up. He was lying down on the bed. Trance and the hologram were looking at him, as was the third figure, who was being held in Trance's arms. It was like a mini version of Trance, only it was pale green with light blue hair. It was the first to speak as well. 

"Mommy says that you fell and had to have a long sleep. Can you play with me now?" 

_Is that MY child?_ Harper's headache was slowly starting to build again. _No, you're not going to let that headache get the best of you like it did before._ Harper wiped his brow. Funny...his headache was slowly going away now. _While you're in this..._ Hmm, how could he put it? _fantasy_ He had to admit that everything going on here was incredibly cool, even if he didn't remember how he ended up here. It was like one of those dreams that you never want to wake up from because it is just so perfect... _you're going to have fun. I mean...a fine computer that serves your every need, being MARRIED to Trance_ He always had feelings for her but never bothered to act on them. _ and you're the dad of a sparkely green kid? How COOL is that!!!_

"Daddy needs to rest right now. He has a headache." Actually Harper's head had improved substantially. Mabye now he could get some answers. Trance put down the child and he ran into the other room. Harper could tell that she was worried about him. 

For once, Harper started the conversation. "If you haven't noticed already...I've lost my memory. Could you two beautiful ladies please enlighten me on the past few years?" 

Trance and the hologram looked at each other. This was not going to be easy to explain. 

**End of Chapter Three**   


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**Author's note:** That came quick, didn't it? Don't ask me how it happened but suddenly the next chapter started playing in my head. I decided that it would be best to post it before I forgot it. 

It'll be a week (at least) before Chapter 4 comes. First of all I need to develop the rest of the story in my head and second, I wrote 2 chapters in 2 days! I need a break. 

Oh and people who are hosting my stories please remember to put thoughts in italic (or bold) just so that they stand out from the rest of the story. 

- **~Thissa~**


	5. I like it here!

Harper's Day Out **Author's Note:** This is my very first fanfic, so please review and let me know what you think =)   
_Italic text_ represents a thought. Please note that if you are not viewing this on fanfiction.net you may not see italics. Just remember - anything that sounds like a character talking to him/herself probably is.   
Legal mumbo-jumbo can be found prior to the introduction to this story.   


**Chapter Four**

Trance Gemini and the blonde-haired holographic AI human look-alike that was standing next to her had finally realized why Harper was acting so strangely. Something had caused him to lose his memories. The question of which ones, how they were lost, or how much he could remember were still a mystery. Fortunatley the last one wouldn't be a mystery for much longer. 

"Umm...how much can you remember?" 

_Okay, think back..._ "I can recall leaving the Andromeda, and going to the Intergalaxial Science & Technology Convention on Alteka-7." _Argh...come on, you can remember more than that!_ "I got there and spoke with a weird-looking fish-headed man." Harper's headache was slowly starting to build again. _NO! Stay in control, Harper. You can do this..._ "There is more...but if I try to remember it I get a headache and pass out. Same if I get exposed to something radically different than what I am used to." _Okay, it's their turn now. Get some rest!_ "So what has happened since then?" 

Trance was the first to speak. "It's been three years since then. But...your memory is...different. After you left for the convention, the Maru had some kind of problem and you had to return right away. You fixed it, but you were really sad because you missed the convention. Eventually, though things went back to normal. One day we passed by Earth. You decided to take a stop there to recover some old belongings or something, I don't really remember. But anyways we stayed in the system longer than expected. Rev successfully set up a church there and was able to convert most of the Magog. He stayed there for a while to get it going. You told Dylan that you wanted to stay because it was your home and you wanted to return it to it's former glory. I decided to come and stay with you because I wanted to help. I heard that Earth was a beautiful planet with lots of trees and flowers and stuff. Well..." She pointed at the window. "...it is. We never ended up leaving, neither did Rev. But Dylan and the others continued on their mission to restore the Commonwealth. Last I heard, they have 500 species in it now. They come back every now and then though to see how we're doing. And while Earth isn't exactly returned to it's former glory yet, you pledged that you will return it and will not go back to the Andromeda until that task is complete." 

Harper stood speechless. "It's not like you to ramble on like that." 

She smiled. "Yeah, well you asked me to and besides, I've picked up on a lot of Earth lingo since I arrived here." 

"So how did the cute green kid happen?" 

"Well one thing lead to another..." Trance smiled. "Shortly after we arrived on Earth you asked me to marry you. Of course I didn't know what it was at the time, but after you told me - it was the happiest day of my life. Then we fixed up this old house and you built an AI to control it. A few months later we had Aren, our child. It's a guy." 

The only reason Harper hadn't passed out was because everything was so perfect. The more she told him about the future _the PRESENT_ the more he enjoyed being here. "Wow. I don't care how I got here but I sure don't want to go back. I don't see how this could be any better." He fell into her arms and gave her a big hug. 

*****

The fish-headed man watched their conversation with interest. He needed to get in touch with this purple girl and tell her what had happened to Harper. From what he heard, Harper had travelled to the convention in a ship called the Maru, which was launched from a larger ship called the Andromeda. If he could get in contact with the Andromeda, he could get assistance in freeing Harper from this mind maze. The problem was that Harper may not want to go willingly. He was beginning to accept what he was seeing as being reality, which would result in...god knows what. 

This was all his fault. He was just an old scientist trying to create a device that would keep people happy. He shouldn't let Harper have tried the device, how could he have been so stupid? He had known what had happened to his previous assistant and it was foolish of him to think that it wouldn't happen again. The only difference is that this time it was delayed. Instead of preventing the glitches as he had hoped, he had merely slowed them down. 

Why didn't he test it instead of Harper? He had nothing, Harper had a future - regardless of what Harper might think about it. Just because what he had seen was Harper's dreams and wishes, it didn't mean that they couldn't and wouldn't happen. 

*****

"Excuse me - could the AI say a few words about herself?" 

Harper stepped back, and looked at the AI. He had forgotten about her. It was obvious that he had designed her - she was taliored to his exact specifications. "Yeah, sorry." 

"My name is Alicia and I control the house. I also serve other purposes - such as a babysitter when you two are out, an alarm clock (she giggled as she said that), and a dictionary of witty and sarcastic English phrases. You have promised to let me meet my mother, Andromeda, someday...but I haven't ever seen her before." 

"Well it's nice to meet you. Oh and that's not sarcasm by the way." She just rolled her eyes. 

"Trance, show him the car. I've gotta go check on the green tyke. " Her hologram disappeared. 

"I own a car? That's cool. What kind?" 

"You said that this couldn't get any better. Time to eat your words!" She giggled. Then she took him into the garage. 

Inside sat a bright red porche. "Do you remember how to drive?" 

Harper smirked. "Let's go visit Rev." 

**End of Chapter Four**   
  
**Author's note:** This is probably one of the more boring parts of the story because it is just dialogue...but it is necessary. I'm sure you can guess what happens next and I promise you that it will not be boring. (Well, most of it anyways =) 

Oh and when I said it would be a week before I published this, I meant a school week. Which in this case is four days with the Easter weekend and all. 

Have a happy Easter everyone, and...drive safe. 

- **~Thissa~**


	6. The Call

Harper's Day Out **Author's Note:** This is my very first fanfic, so please review and let me know what you think =)   
_Italic text_ represents a thought. Please note that if you are not viewing this on fanfiction.net you may not see italics. Just remember - anything that sounds like a character talking to him/herself probably is.   
Legal mumbo-jumbo can be found prior to the introduction to this story.   


**Chapter Five**

"AAAAH!!!" 

Trance Gemini let out a scream as Seamus Harper, who was driving the red Porshe, swerved to avoid the incoming truck. 

"I thought you said you knew how to drive!" 

"Well, I thought this would be easier than slipstream piloting. So which way to Rev's place?" 

"You won't miss it. It's the big church with lots of pretty little plants surrounding it. And stop looking at me when you're talking. Keep your eyes on the road!" 

It had only been 12 hours since Harper had first woken up here (at midnight), but he already was beginning to accept this place as his new home. Even if he could go back, he wouldn't. It was just too perfect. _Whoever designed this place obviously had me in mind..."_

***** 

Beka Valentine paced back and forth in her quarters. What had that kid done with her ship? _When he gets back...oh, he's gonna pay._ She put an evil grin on her face. _Okay, evil thoughts aside now. He's probably just run into a little delay. He'll be back anytime now. That's right, anytime..._

She was so distracted with the evil thoughts alternating with the worried thoughts that were flowing through her head, that she didn't realize that her door was being chimed. After it rang a second time, she opened it. 

Trance was standing outside. "Are you okay, Beka? You seem upset."   
"Nah, just pissed off that Harper broke the rules."   
"What rules?"   
"The rules for borrowing the Maru."   
"Oh. Can I come in?"   
"You worried about him too?"   
"I thought you were just worried about your ship."   
"Yeah but if Harper isn't around, who's gonna fix it?"   
"So can I come in?"   
"I don't see why not." 

Trance entered Beka's quarters and sat down on the couch. Beka sat down in a chair nearby. 

Trance looked at Beka with a worried look on her face. "So do you think he's gonna be okay?" 

Beka chuckled. "You know Harper. He's probably found a gizmo that he just can't put down." Her expression changed to a frown. "But if the Maru is being broken into while he's in that convention, he's dead meat. And I'm not kidding." 

Trance nodded. She opened her mouth to say something, but she was interrupted by Andromeda's hologram suddenly appearing in the room. 

"Dylan would like the both of you on the bridge. It's about Harper." 

Her hologram disappeared. Beka and Trance looked at each other for a minute, and then rushed out to the bridge. 

They arrived to see Dylan Hunt, captian of the Andromeda Ascendant, speaking to a fish-man dressed in a white scientist's uniform on the viewscreen. 

"Ah, here they are now. Allow me to introduce Beka Valentine, my first officer, and Trance Gemini, my enviromental systems officer." 

"It's a pleasure to speak with you" said Beka. 

"Likewise. I have contacted you to discuss and resolve the matter of a crewman of yours - a Seamus Zelanzy Harper." 

He went on to explain how Harper had assisted him in repairing the Dream Catcher, but the repairs were in vain and when Harper had tested it, it blew up, damaging his neural implant. He then mentioned that miraculously, the Dream Catcher was still running but Harper had amnesia and he could not shut the Dream Catcher down. Finally, he told them of what would happen if Harper was not returned to reality soon. 

Dylan didn't hesitate in saying "Hang tight. We'll be right down there." 

"Good. I will reserve tickets in your names. That's Dylan Hunt, Beka Valentine, and Trance Gemini right? 

Beka shook her head. "I'm not going. I've gotta plan something for when he gets back." 

Dylan looked at her, then back at the viewscreen. "In that case, make it Dylan Hunt, Trance Gemini, and Rommie Ascendant." He needed to bring Rommie anyways, to have her interface with the Dream Catcher but having a ticket for her made it so much easier. 

"Very well then. I will see you in person soon. It has been a pleasure to speak with you, Dylan Hunt, and I wish you luck in your restored Commonwealth." The transmission ended. 

**End of Chapter Five**   
  
**Author's note:** Not much of the Harper in this chapter but again, it's essental to the plot. The story is almost at it's peak now and will be coming to a close in the next 2-3 chapters or so. 

And I know that I've mentioned this before, but please remember to emphasize thoughts if you are hosting this story. I'm trying to use thoughts less now cause I don't want readers to be confused if they read this story on another site. (You can leave out this pagagraph if hosting.) 

Got lots of homework to start, hope to have chapter 6 out sometime in the middle of this week. 

- **~Thissa~**


	7. The Rescue

Harper's Day Out **Author's Note:** This is my very first fanfic, so please review and let me know what you think =)   
_Italic text_ represents a thought. Please note that if you are not viewing this on fanfiction.net you may not see italics. Just remember - anything that sounds like a character talking to him/herself probably is.   
Legal mumbo-jumbo can be found prior to the introduction to this story.   


**Chapter Six**

The sparkely red porche pulled up next to the Wayist Monestary. Trance Gemini exited the car the instant it came to a stop. Seamus Harper looked up at her. 

"I wasn't that bad of a driver...was I?"   
Trance gave him a sarcastic grin. "Let's just say...I'm driving us back."   
Harper glared at her. "And you could do any better?"   
"Yep." 

***** 

Dylan Hunt landed the shuttle next to the Maru in the docking area for the Alteka-7 Intergalaxial Science Convention. Along with him were Rommie and Trance. The three of them hadn't spoken since they left the Andromeda, obviously all worried about Harper. Finally, he decided to break the silence. 

"So just how bad is this, Rommie?" 

She turned and looked back at him. "Could be worse, I guess. I won't have any trouble entering his dream and communicating with him. Freeing him, however, won't be as easy." 

Trance spoke up. "We better hurry, the scientist said that time was of the essence." 

Dylan nodded. "Alright, let's go then." 

The trio exited the shuttle and informed the ticket collector of the tickets reserved in their names. Unlike Harper, they had no trouble getting in. 

They were impressed by the convention. It was obvious that it was something that Harper would enjoy. There were lots of booths and tables filling the building, covered with gizmos which did god-knows-what. As they wandered through the convention, they looked around for the fish-headed scientist. 

The fish-headed scientist, who was watching Harper and Trance chatting with a friendly Magog _That's not something you see a lot of these days..._ took a look up to see the trio approaching. He spoke. 

"Ahh, you must be Captian Dylan Hunt, am I correct?"  
"The one and only." 

Dylan and the scientist began to discuss their plans. Rommie prepared to interface with the Dream Catcher, while Trance snuck behind the scientist and peered down at the viewscreen. 

***** 

Harper and Trance were sitting in a small room speaking to Rev Bem, their good friend and leader of the Wayists on Earth, the majority of it's members being Magog. 

Rev smiled at the duo. "So what brings the two of you to this monestary?" 

Trance put a worried expression on her face. "It's about Harper. He's been acting odd recently and claims to have lost his memory. I know you're not a doctor, especially not a human doctor, but could you talk to him for a while?" 

Harper sat up in shock. "Hey, woah. Slow down a second here...you didn't say I was getting a counselling session! I don't need one! Really, I don't?" 

Trance, still with her worried expression, looked at Harper. "I know, but it's for your own good." She got up and left the room. 

Harper, while angry that Trance had tricked him, was still overall happy. He did want to talk to Rev, and hopefully he would see some more of his old crewmates from the Andromeda. He turned to look at Rev and spoke. 

"So how's it going, bug-eyes?"  
"Listen to me, Harper. Everything happens for a reason, but sometimes we don't know what that reason is. We just have to accept it as a mystery of the universe. 

Harper laughed. _Even after all these years, he's still nuts. Not as much as that fish-headed guy, though...wait a minute, FISH-HEADED GUY?!?!?_ "Sometimes, I can remember bits and pieces. Just now I remembered a fish-headed guy. But if I try to remember any more, I get a killer headache." 

Rev nodded, stroking his beard. "Perhaps I can help you to remember. Tell me what you know about this...um, fish headed guy." 

Harper started to say something, then paused for a moment. "Well...now that you mentioned it, I really didn't know a lot about him. He didn't tell me his name or race. He was tinkering with something, I can't remember what. And..._ Come on, Harper, remember, you can do this!_ he needed help with it."   
Harper grabbed his head, it was pounding with pain. "I'm sorry, Rev, I can't remember any more." 

"Perhaps," Rev tilted his head. "Perhaps...it was an illusion, a dream that you can remember. Dreams often hold the keys to the mysteries of the universe." 

How right he was. 

***** 

"Alright. Rommie, you know what to do. Trance, you watch over Harper's vital signs. If there is the slightest problem make sure Rommie gets out of there. Myself and..." _That's odd, the scientist never told me his name._ "I'm sorry, your name was?" 

The scientist looked at him. "I am called Ajax," he said. 

"Okay. Myself and Ajax will monitor Rommie and her connection to the Dream Catcher." 

What a mess of cables was lying around on Ajax's booth. His computer was connected to a modified VR helmet, which was hotwired to Harper's neural implant with a home-made cable. Rommie had a few cables of her own connected to various parts of the system. 

"Okay, are we all ready?" said Dylan. 

No one said a word. 

"All right then, let's go save our engineer." Rommie closed her eyes while Dylan and Ajax began to flick switches and press buttons. A few seconds later...she was in." 

**End of Chapter Six**   
  
**Author's note:** The story is almost complete now - but don't stop reading! The best part (in my opinion) is coming up in the final 2 chapters. 

Actually the last section of the story isn't really a chapter, it will be a conclusion, similar to the introduction. Unfortunately this throws my stories out of sync with the FFN chaptering system. Oh well. 

As much as I want to write the last 2 sections right now, it would be better to leave you in suspense for at least a couple days. Patience is a virtue... 

- **~Thissa~**


	8. The Chat / I don't want to go!

Harper's Day Out **Author's Note:** This is my very first fanfic, so please review and let me know what you think =)   
_Italic text_ represents a thought. Please note that if you are not viewing this on fanfiction.net you may not see italics. Just remember - anything that sounds like a character talking to him/herself probably is.   
Legal mumbo-jumbo can be found prior to the introduction to this story.   


**Chapter Seven**

Seamus Harper leaned back in his chair, trying to collect his thoughts. _Mabye he's right and it is all a dream. Mabye I just have amnesia. Next thing I know - someone's just gonna magically appear out of nowhere and tell me the truth._

Suddenly a third person was in the room. 

"Harper!" 

"Rommie?" _Well what do you know..._

Rev Bem looked up at Rommie. "Greetings, Andromeda. It it good to see you again." 

Rommie turned to face Harper and Rev. "Harper, you know why I'm here. Rev could probably take a guess." 

Harper put a confused look on his face. "You're going to give me the answers... aren't you? You know why I can't remember anything." 

"I know this will be hard for you to take, Harper - but you don't remember the time in between speaking with Ajax and arriving here because it never happened." 

"Ajax?" 

"He's the scientist whose head resembles an Earth trout." 

"Okay...so what do you mean when you say it never happened? And why can't I remember what I said to this Ajax fellow?" 

"Harper...do you remember the device that he was fiddiling around with? It was called a dream catcher. You offered to help him repair and test it." 

_Dream catcher..._ More memories flashed back into Harper's head. _What was it for? You fixed it, and put it on, what happened next? COME ON HARPER, THINK!_

"AAAAH!" Harper screamed, the memories becoming too much for him to take. The headache was at its peak and would not stop. He grabbed his head and fell to the floor. 

"It's okay, Harper, let me take the pain." Rommie closed her eyes. 

***** 

"DYLAN!" Trance screamed at the top of her lungs. 

"What?" 

"Something weird is going on. Harper's neural activity was peaking to the point of extreme shock. But Rommie's done something. She's using her program as some kind of filter between Harper and the Dream Catcher. To put it in human terms, she's letting herself be a punching bag so that Harper can remember." 

Dylan looked up at Rommie. Her body was twisting and jerking, obviously Harper's intense neural activity straining her program to it's limits. 

"Trance, keep a close watch on Harper's vital signs. I'll keep watching Rommie's connection. Ajax, you get ready to pull Rommie out on my word. Okay?" 

Trance and Ajax nodded. Dylan rubbed his eyes - how could this get any worse? 

***** 

As suddenly as Harper's headache had started, it had vanished. Harper got up, only to see Rommie in the same predicament as he was earlier. She was collapsed on the floor, still concious but unable to move. _She's taking my headache for me. If there was ever a time when a genius needed to think, it is now._

And almost miraculously, Harper's missing memories returned to him. He jumped up in shock. "Rommie! Rev! I did it! I remember!" 

Rommie struggled to get up, but she managed it after a few tries. Harper could tell that she had suffered serious damage. Harper's happy expression turned to shock and sadness when he saw Rommie. "I'm sorry, Rommie. I didn't mean to hurt you like that." 

"No, Harper. It was necessary. But you can repair me when we get back." 

Harper paused for a moment. "What do you mean, when we go back? I never said that I want to go back. Rommie, this dream has become reality to me. I would rather be here than aboard the ship. I mean, some people like Dylan would like to be there because he wants to go out and restore the Commonwealth. But I just want a happy life on Earth, free from the reign of Magog. Here, in this dream, is everything I ever wanted. I don't want to go and I won't." 

Rommie stepped back, shocked. She didn't expect to hear that. In fact, she almost felt offended that Harper would rather spend his time living in a dream that walking aboard her (well, she was the ship). 

"Don't you get it, Harper? This isn't your dream world. I mean, think about it. Do you really want to be standing here, having this boring conversation with me right now?" 

Harper thought about it for a second, and realized that she was right. "No, I don't. But no dream is perfect." 

"Wrong again, Harper. All dreams are perfect. You don't seem to understand. As an artificial intellegence, there are hopes and dreams that I have every day, which I know will never become a reality. But you, Harper, you have a future. You can make a difference. 

"God...that sounds like something Dylan would say." 

"And he says it because it's true. People like you can go out and change the world. So why deny yourself that opportunity, why live in your happy paradise on Earth when you know that it isn't real, that on the real Earth there are hundreds of humans being raped and killed by bloodthirsty magog. 

Harper didn't want to admit it, but she was right. He could never live with knowing the fact that other humans, like him, were subjected to life on the real Earth. 

"The dream catcher was designed to show you a possible future. I think you saw what you needed to see." 

Harper nodded. He couldn't take any more of this weird cross between Rommie, Rev, and Dylan, so he decided to end the conversation. 

"You're right, Rommie. Mabye not today, mabye not tommorrow, but someday... someday Earth will be free. And I'm gonna be there when it happens." 

***** 

Ajax was watching the viewscreen, tears forming in his eyes. As he had predicted, the young man named Seamus Zelanzy Harper saw what he had needed to see, and would make a difference in the world because of it. He turned to face his computer, and pressed several buttons on a control panel. 

Rommie opened up her eyes. She was damaged, but it didn't matter. She turned her head to the left to see Harper do the same. Everyone crowded around him. She got up and stood next to Dylan. 

Harper stood up. _Were they watching what I was doing? Man, I was way too emotional in there. Guess I had better act normally, or they might think I have permanent brain damage._

"I'M BACK!!!" 

The others burst out in laughter. "We know," said Dylan. 

**End of Chapter Seven**   
  
**Author's note:** WAIT! The story isn't over! There's still a thrilling conclusion...only a few more days! 

- **~Thissa~**


	9. Conclusion

Harper's Day Out **Author's Note:** This is my very first fanfic, so please review and let me know what you think =)   
_Italic text_ represents a thought. Please note that if you are not viewing this on fanfiction.net you may not see italics. Just remember - anything that sounds like a character talking to him/herself probably is.   
Legal mumbo-jumbo can be found prior to the introduction to this story.   


**Conclusion**

"Wait, Harper!" 

Seamus Harper turned his head to see Ajax, the fish-headed scientist, running up to him. Dylan, Trance, and Rommie had all returned to their shuttles and Harper, still adjusting to reality, was doing the same - only more slowly. 

"Harper, I wanted to appologize for the trouble that I had caused you. Also, if I recall correctly, I promised you a small something for your troubles. 

_Ahh... first I get to spend two days in a fantasy world, and now I get rewarded for doing it. The gods LOVE me._ "Oh, you really didn't have to, but if you insist..." 

Ajax brought out the Dream Catcher from behind his back. "I know what you're thinking right now, Harper. To be honest, I didn't think that you would be brave enough to try this in the first place." 

"So what are you giving it to me for?" 

"A number of reasons. First of all, I'm just a tired old scientist. I don't have the time to work on this anymore. I have to go out and...fulfill my dreams." A sad smile worked its way onto his face. You can repair and improve it. But the real reason that I'm giving it to you is in the hope that after you've repaired it, you will pass it on to someone in need." 

Harper nodded. "Okay." 

"You saw what you needed to see. Now go and let someone else have that oppertunity." 

Harper took the Dream Catcher from his hands and began to walk off. Then he paused, and turned around. 

"Hey Ajax, I've been meaning to ask you...what's your dream?" 

"My dream, Harper, is to find my people. As a child, I was abandoned on a planet. Ajax was the name given to me by the people that found me. I may never know what it really is. I don't know my race either. I knew ever since I arrived on that planet that my goal in life is to find my people. And that's why I created the Dream Catcher, to expand on that dream, to search back into my past and perhaps learn where I come from, or who I am. Like you, I saw what I needed to see. But there others who haven't had that chance yet. The future lies within your hands, Harper." 

Harper stared down at the Dream Catcher, then back at Ajax. 

"I wish you luck in bringing your dreams to reality, Ajax." 

"As do I, Harper." 

Harper turned and left the convention, returning to the Ereka Maru. Trance was waiting for him outside. 

"Hi Harper, Dylan and Rommie have already left in the shuttle. I thought you might want some company. Hey, what are you doing with the VR helmet?" 

"It's a long story, Trance. Let's go home and I'll tell you all about it..." 

The duo boarded the Maru. After the routine systems check, they took off. Harper put the Maru on autopilot and turned to speak with Trance. 

"Trance, what do you see when you see the future?" 

"It's hard to explain, I see...possibilities." 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean, I see many futures. Any of them could happen, it depends on what actions we make in the present." 

"Oh, okay. Do you ever see...Earth?" 

"I could have, but I don't know because I've never been there. Is it pretty?" 

"It was, until the Magog took it over. But I'm going to change all that. I've decided to actually do something with my life. I want to free Earth." 

"That's not going to be easy." 

"I know. But it needs to be done. I just can't stand the thought of all those innocent people dying. But anyways, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come with me. It's gonna be awfully lonely without everyone." 

Trance jumped up and down. "Of course! I would love to help you make the planet look pretty again." 

Harper smiled. "I knew you would." 

After more discussion on freeing Earth, the Maru arrived at the Andromeda. 

"Eureka Maru calling Andromeda. Do you copy?" 

Beka's face appeared on the viewscreen. "Hello, Mr.Harper. You're twenty four hours late." 

_Aw, Crap! Beka's gonna kill me for being late!_ "Yeah, well unless you want me to be any later you'll allow me to dock." 

Beka nodded and let the Maru dock. 

Harper and Trance got out of the Maru. Beka was waiting for them. 

"Hi, Trance. Could you give me and Harper a few minutes alone?" 

"Okay, Beka. Bye Harper!" She skipped out of the docking bay. 

Beka put an evil glare on her face and looked at Harper. "Come for a walk down the hallways with me...we have much to talk about. 

Harper just nodded and followed her into the hall. 

After walking with Harper around the halls for a while, and banning him from coming in the general area of the Maru for a week, she suddenly stopped. Everything was going to plan. Harper was falling for it. _Now for the cue..._

"And FURTHERMORE," Beka spoke with extra anger in her voice. 

_Darn it!_ Harper had already been banned from coming near the Maru, what else was she going to do to him? 

Suddenly a finger tapped on Harper's shoulder. Harper spun around to look right into the eyes of Tyr. 

"BOO!" 

"AHHHHH!!!" Harper must have jumped a mile high. "Holy Sh*t, Tyr! You scared the pants off me!" 

Tyr broke out into laughter. Beka, however was laughing even louder. She walked up to Tyr and gave him a high-five. 

Tyr spoke. "You were right, Beka. It was funny." 

Harper just stood watching them with shock on his face, as they walked down the hall, still laughing. 

After a few minutes of calming down, Harper went to his quarters. There he sat the Dream Catcher down on a table and stared at it. It wouldn't be too hard to fix, and Andromeda should have no trouble controlling and monitoring it. But that could wait. It was late, and Harper was tired. He dimmed the lights, and got into bed. Thoughts of the future flooded into his head, and eventually he settled into a nice, peaceful sleep. 

**The End**   
  
**Author's note:** Or is it? If there is demand, and I have enough creative energy left, I'll write a sequel. 

But N-E-Ways, I want to know what you thought of it! Please review if on FFN, if not please e-mail thissa@home.com with your thoughts, comments, constructive criticism, etc. 

Now if you'll excuse me...I have to get some sleep =) 

- **~Thissa~**


End file.
